Sulfur Five-fingers Potentilla recta
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- po-ten-TIL-ah REK-tuh
- Description
-
Rough-fruited cinquefoil can be found growing in the wild along roadsides, in pastures and abandoned fields, gravelly areas along railroad tracks, in compacted soil along grassy paths or dirt roads. Plants typically live one to ten years. It is a self-seeder whos seeds can germinate the same year of production. The seeds can also remain in the ground and viable for up to three years. It is believed that the seed can pass through the digestive system of the white-tailed deer, therefore spreading the seed to new areas.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Potentilla
- Species:
- recta
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe, Africa and Asia-Temperate
- Wildlife Value:
- Members of the genus Potentilla support the following specialized bees: Andrena (Derandrena) ziziaeformis, and Panurginus potentillae, as well as numerous other varieties of bees, wasps, moths, and sawflies. Some grasshoppers also feed on this plant. It is not eaten in abundance by many herbivores due to the bitter-tasting organic substance present in the plant. That allows the plant to spread in such areas as cattle pastures. White-tailed deer and rabbits occasionally consume the foliage.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Weed
- Wildflower
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- A flat terminal cluster of 0.5-1 in. heart-shaped, pale yellow flowers with five petals. The petals are heart-shaped, while the sepals are triangular.
-
-
Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblanceolate
- Oblong
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Leafy, hairy multi-branched stem. The lower leaves have 5 to 9 narrow, coarsely toothed, 1 to 3 in. leaflets and runners up to 3 feet. The upper leaves have 3-5 leaflets and short petioles or they are sessile (directly attached to the plants base). The leaves become smaller in size as they ascend. The upper surface of each leaf is green to grayish-green, glabrous to sparsely hairy. The underside of each leaf is light green.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- White
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- The stems are light green, light reddish-green or almost white. They are hairy when young, but lose most hair as the plant ages. The hairs are long, white and spreading.
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Attracts:
- Pollinators
- Specialized Bees
- Problems:
- Weedy
